GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: Waynesboro's Kim Saunders named Capital Division Coach of the Year

Kim Saunders carried her knowledge and love of the sport of volleyball to the coaching side in her first year at the helm of the Waynesboro Maidens program. Apparently, a lot of people noticed.

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By Lee Goodwin

Waynesboro Record Herald - Waynesboro, PA

By Lee Goodwin

Posted Nov. 16, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Updated Nov 16, 2012 at 10:12 AM

By Lee Goodwin

Posted Nov. 16, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Updated Nov 16, 2012 at 10:12 AM

Kim Saunders carried her knowledge and love of the sport of volleyball to the coaching side in her first year at the helm of the Waynesboro Maidens program.

Apparently, a lot of people noticed.

Saunders, a key player on Maiden teams in the late 1980s and early 90s that played in two state tournaments, was named Mid-Penn Capital Division Coach of the Year on Wednesday, a surprising and satisfactory end to a turn-around year for the Maidens varsity team. Saunders guided Waynesboro, picked to finish eighth in the division, to a 10-8 finish and a fourth-place finish in the Capital Division with a 9-7 record.

“Kim was a coach on the floor whenever she was playing,” said former Waynesboro head Waynesboro girls volleyball head coach Jay Heefner, who led the Maidens for 20 seasons and guided them to three appearances in the state tournament, including a third-place finish in 1991. “I said before to people that when we took a time out, the first person I would ask what was happening was Kim. She just had a tremendous vision — not just on the floor, but she could also see what was coming down the pick. She could see the game from sideline to sideline and endline to endline.

“She could have been a coach right out of high school. She was just unique. I have tremendous respect for her. She was one of my favorite kids of all time. She played hard; she commanded respect from her former players.”

Junior setter Megan Biesecker was picked to the First Team, while senior Dori Kozain was a Second Team selection and juniors Sierra Davies and Zoe Harris earned honorable mention.

“I was extremely humbled to get even a vote for our program,” Saunders said this morning. “It says a lot. I don’t take this as an award for myself. I take it as an award for our staff and our program. Their commitment and willingness to learn and put on the court what we were teaching — obviously people noticed. It gives us a lot of momentum in the offseason to carry over to next year.”

The players

The Maidens lose just two seniors, including Kozain, a major reason the team won 10 matches. Kozain accumulated a team-high 161 kills and added a team-best 45 blocks during the season.

“Dori grew by leaps and bounds this year,” Saunders said. “She stepped up her game, adding a variety of attacks to her arsenal. She had an amazing blocking ability. We are definitely going to miss her. She got to play in the senior all-star game the other night and she had three kills and a block.”

Biesecker, playing in her first-ever season as the team’s setter, didn’t just take full advantage of Waynesboro’s strength along the front line. She orchestrated many of the kill opportunities with precision passing.

Page 2 of 2 - “She was a rock,” Saunders said of her rising senior setter. “She kept us in it night after night. Her love for the game, her willingness to be a team player and allow the team to be successful definitely made the difference.”

Davies excelled at another specialty position as the team’s libero. The junior led the team in digs with 215 despite missing some early games due to illness.

“Sierra came back very strong,” Saunders said. “Her serve-receive led us. She was willing to throw her body all over the court. I look for her to continue to grow and be a true force for our defense.”

Also back will be Harris, whose signature cross-court kill was a thorn in opposing team’s sides during the season. Harris was a double threat, posting 149 kills on offense and 143 digs on the defensive side.

“Zoe works hard,” Saunders said. “She can pull a huge kill out of her bag whenever she needed to. She did a lot for us passing and hitting. She was definitely versatile in that we could run her in the middle or the outside and she could perform for us.”

The coach

Saunders was recognized over coaches of teams that finished higher than Waynesboro, that being co-champions Gettysburg and Greencastle-Antrim, and West Perry.

“First of all, it’s a great honor to be recognized by your peers,” said Heefner. “That, to me, is the highest honor you can receive.”

Though Saunders, a 1991 WASHS graduate, didn’t envision herself coaching her alma mater, when the opportunity presented itself, she applied and was hired to be the coach during the summer — giving her little time to implement her coaching philosophy and get to know the players. Her assistant coach (Mark Hollen) wasn’t approved by the WASD until August.

“I definitely thought I’d be coaching in college or somewhere,” said Saunders, who served as a volunteer coach for the Waynesboro middle school team last year. “It’s a complete honor to follow in coach (Jay) Heefner’s footsteps. He was such an influence in my playing days. He spoke at our banquet. Just to be able to begin to rebuild the legacy he left is a complete honor.”